Scotland Confirms First Case of Ebola

A health worker who was treating patients in Sierra Leone has been diagnosed with Ebola in Scotland, the Scottish government announced today.

The health worker arrived in Scotland's Glasgow Airport on a British Airways flight at 11:30 p.m. last night after flying through Casablanca and London's Heathrow Airport.

The patient, who has not been identified, was admitted to the Brownlee Unit for Infectious Diseases at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow and placed in isolation at 7:50 a.m. local time.

His contacts are being identified and monitored, according to a statement from the Scottish government.

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Boston mayor proposes longer school day

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has proposed to make the school day 40 minutes longer for around 23,000 public school students.

Walsh announced in a press conference on Friday that around 60 elementary and middle schools could host longer days in the hopes that children will gain a more comprehensive education.

Teachers in the Boston Teacher Union will be able to vote on the new plan on January 14.

In addition to longer days, teachers would make an annual stipend of $4,464 to pay for their extra hours of work.

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North Korea: The starving resort to cannibalism

“Communist Party officials have reportedly been confiscating what little food there is…”

Instances of cannibalism in two famine-struck provinces in North Korea are on the rise, as reported by London’s Daily Mail. What has been tagged as a “hidden famine,” the drought-plagued farming provinces of North and South Hwanghae have been hit so hard it’s been reported that up to 10,000 people have died of starvation.

One hunger-maddened Korean peasant reportedly killed both of his children for food. Undercover reporters from Asia Press told The Sunday Times (of London) that one man dug up his grandchild’s corpse and ate it.

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Bill de Blasio 2 Hours Late to Wake for Officer Rafael Ramos

On Friday evening, thousands of New Yorkers attended a memorial service for Rafael Ramos, one of the two NYPD officers assassinated a week ago by an Eric Garner protester. The service brought mourners from every corner of the city. Noticeably late was embattled Mayor Bill de Blasio, who made it to the service only just before its conclusion.

Ramos, 40, and partner Wenjian Liu, 32, were shot to death on December 20 as they sat in their patrol car. Both were murdered by a 28-year-old named Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley who claimed he was avenging the death of a man who died after police used a choke hold on him as he resisted arrest in July.

Also in attendance were contingents from dozens of Police departments from as far away as Ohio, Georgia, and Maine—all of whom came to show support for the fallen officer, his family, and their fellow police officers in the NYPD.

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Youth & Adult Volleyball Programs Offered this Winter

Spike Express Youth Volleyball is back for another session this winter! This Youth Volleyball program will be held every Tuesday, January 6 through March 24, 2015 for participants ages 9 -14. Players will work on volleyball skills each week from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Time will be allotted during each session to allow for teaching, practice and game play. Beginners and all skill levels are welcomed. The cost for this twelve week program is $25 per person ($20 for each additional child). The registration deadline is Friday, January 2. An additional $5 will be applied after the registration deadline.

The Men's 6 on 6 Volleyball League is designed for the player who wants to experience hard-hitting action and skilled competition. The League will meet on Tuesdays, January 6 through March 24, 2015 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. and is open to participants ages 14 and older.

The cost for this exciting volleyball league is $210 per team, all payments must be received prior to participation. The registration deadline is Friday, January 2, 2015.

Team representatives are required to attend the pre-season meeting and agree to act as a liaison between the Recreation Department and their players. Divisions and schedules will be determined based on the number of registered teams (4 team minimum is required). A $25.00 deposit is due at the team meeting Friday, January 2, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at the Recreation Center in Snow Hill.

For more information on our volleyball programs, contact Chris Roberts at 410-632-2144 ext. 106 orcroberts@co.worcester.md.us. Visit our website at www.WorcesterRecandParks.org for a complete list of our youth programs or to sign up for email announcements. Don't forget to like us on Facebook.

Christmas Day robbery at Pope's retreat

A gang staged a Christmas Day robbery at a convent that the Pope uses as his summer retreat, assaulting the Mother Superior during their rampage.

Three men made off with €5,000 (£4,000) after the raid at Castel Gandolfo, 15 miles from Rome.

The gang broke through a window at 12.30am as the nuns of the Pius XII institute were at prayers as part of their Christmas vigil.

The raiders made for the Mother Superior’s office, and began to search it for cash.

Hearing noises, she went to investigate but was grabbed, threatened and pushed to the floor.

The men then made her lead them to her bedroom, and forced her to hand over a cashbox containing money for the convent’s bills.

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This firefighter got drunk and decided to do something really stupid

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Kan. — Instead of responding to an emergency call, this firefighter allegedly created one of her own.


Chelsea Matthew, 24, a volunteer firefighter in Kansas, is accused of taking a fire truck on a joy ride while intoxicated, according to KCTV.

While driving the truck with sirens blaring, Matthew used the radio to contact emergency dispatchers. When asked what the emergency was, Matthew allegedly said she was being followed by a fellow firefighter who was trying to kill her.

Dispatchers sent a deputy to investigate the situation. Law enforcement was able to get Matthew to pull the fire truck over safely. The fire truck was not damaged during the unauthorized trip.
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Republicans see diversity in their 2016 hopefuls

WASHINGTON (AP) — Long criticized as the party of old white men, Republicans are seeing a diverse group of people step up for possible contention in the 2016 presidential race.

This class of contenders could include two Hispanic senators, an Indian-American governor, a female business leader and an African-American neurosurgeon. In a group that could exceed a dozen Republican White House prospects, all but a few are in their 40s or 50s, while one of the oldest white men is a fluent Spanish speaker whose wife is a native Mexican.

This development is a point of pride for those Republicans who have long pushed for a welcoming “big tent” party.

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The Destruction Of The Middle Class Is Nearing The Final Stages

The events of the past few months seem astounding when taken in all at once. The plan to destroy the U.S. dollar and the American middle class is moving at an ever increasing speed.

At the recent G20 meeting the nations agreed that bank deposits would no longer be considered money. These bank deposits become the property of the banking institution and as such can be used any way the bank wants. This means that any money you deposit in a bank now is no longer yours but makes you an investor in the bank and subject to lose that money if a banking crisis takes down the bank.

The spending bill just passed by congress makes the American taxpayer responsible for any derivatives loses that banks may suffer. These derivative holders now have first priority when any funds are paid out and depositors are relegated to last place. FDIC insurance will have to pay out these funds but it has no where near enough money to pay the more than 300 trillion in losses that will be suffered in a banking crisis. That means any depositor has little hope of getting anything back. In order for depositors to get anything back massive money printing would have to take place making any payout amount to only pennies on the dollar.

And if you don’t think there is any danger of a banking crisis in America you may want to keep in mind that the Treasury Dept. has recently ordered $200k worth of 72 hr emergency kits for dispersion to every major bank in America. These are known by many as bug-out-bags and are used to support individuals when disaster strikes and they have to care for themselves for the first few days of crisis.

New legislation now gives pension plans the ability to cut benefits to pensioners in the future making the future welfare of these people uncertain. They say it is necessary to prevent these funds from going bankrupt. It will “apply to multi-employer pensions, where a group of businesses in the same industry join forces with unions to provide pension coverage for employees. The plans cover some 10 million U.S. workers,” You may be happy to know this will not affect congressional pensions, as long as they are funded by the taxpayers.

The sanctions being placed on Russia are beginning to destabilize the world in many ways. The sudden drop in oil prices will send ripples through many foreign nations and cause an already tense situation to become highly flammable. It seems this is what is wanted to provoke a new world war and hide the complicity of bankers and politicians in the coming destruction of the economy.

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WISCONSIN GAZETTE: REPEAL OF ‘STUPID’ 2ND AMENDMENT PAST DUE

On December 28, the Wisconsin Gazette (WG) ran a column claiming “it is long past time to repeal the stupid Second Amendment.”

The Second Amendment has been part of Constitution since 1791. But according to the WGcolumn, the individual right to keep and bear arms did not exist until the Supreme Court’s ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008).

Here’s an excerpt from the column:

The fate of the Second Amendment should have been sealed when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that past rulings by their predecessors were wrong, that in fact, the amendment that provided for a “well regulated militia” really guaranteed every individual the right to own a gun. Wow. That is an interesting reading of the English language. What the Supremes have done is to not only warp the meaning and make it into twisted law, but to further prohibit states and local governments from declaring their places free of legal guns. The conservative court once again [ruled] against the power of states, a principle that used to be associated with darn liberals who wanted to make sure everyone had the right to vote, for example, even though they weren’t properly white enough.

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Police outside cop funeral turn backs on NYC mayor

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of police officers from across the nation packed a church and spilled onto streets Saturday to honor Officer Rafael Ramos as a devoted family man, aspiring chaplain and hero, though an air of unrest surrounding his ambush shooting was not completely pushed aside.

While mourners inside the church applauded politely as Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke, hundreds of officers outside turned their backs on him to protest what they see as his support for demonstrators angry over killings by police.

The rush of officers far and wide to New York for Ramos' funeral reminded some of the bond after the Sept. 11 attacks and Superstorm Sandy. Vice President Joe Biden promised that the "incredibly diverse city can and will show the nation how to bridge any divide."

Still, tensions were evident when officers turned away from giant screens showing de Blasio, who has been harshly criticized by New York Police Department union officials as a contributor to a climate of mistrust that preceded the killings of Ramos and his partner, Wenjian Liu.

Sgt. Myron Joseph of the New Rochelle Police Department said he and fellow officers turned their backs spontaneously to "support our brothers in the NYPD."

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Here’s What Shariah Law Apparently Has to Say About Women’s Facebook Passwords

An Islamic preacher says that women who keep their social media and cellphone passwords secret from their husbands are violating shariah law, asserting that husbands are entitled to and must demand to know that information.

The Middle East Media Research Institute reported that Palestinian cleric Sheik Khaled Al-Maghrabi gave a lecture at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque earlier this month in which he said women who withhold the passwords to their cellphones, computers or social media accounts, including Facebook, are violating Islamic law.

“In marital relations, the wife must not keep any secrets from her husband,” Al-Maghrabi said according to MEMRI. “If the wife has a cell phone and she uses a password, but refuses to give her husband the password, this constitutes a violation of Islamic law. This is prohibited. A woman is not allowed to block her cell phone from her husband.”

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NSA reports detail decade's worth of privacy violations

The National Security Agency has quietly released more than a decade of reports detailing surveillance activities that potentially violated U.S. citizens' privacy rights.

Covering NSA activities from mid-2001 to 2013, the heavily-redacted reports document possible abuses, including instances of employees emailing classified information to unauthorized recipients or issuing “overly broad or poorly constructed data queries that potentially targeted” Americans.

The agency, required by executive order to submit the reports to the President’s Intelligence Oversight Board, posted the information publicly on Christmas Eve in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the American Civil Liberties Union.

One of the released reports, from 2012, said an NSA analyst "searched her spouse’s personal telephone directory without his knowledge to obtain names and telephone numbers for targeting." The analyst was "advised to cease her activities."

In another case from 2012, information on a U.S. citizen was "disseminated to a foreign partner" before later being recalled and its deletion confirmed, according to the report.

In 2009, a U.S. Army sergeant received punishment, including a reduction in rank, after he used an NSA system "to target his wife," according to The Wall Street Journal.

Civil-liberties groups pounced on the disclosures.

The documents show “how the NSA has misused the information it collects over the past decade," said Patrick Toomey, a staff attorney with the ACLU’s National Security Project. "They show an urgent need for greater oversight by all three branches of government."

The NSA, though, said that the "vast majority" of cases "involve unintentional technical or human error."

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Breaking: Black Male in Trench Coat Stabs Five People at Popular DC Restaurant

A black male entered McFadden’s Restaurant and Saloon on Saturday night and stabbed five people before fleeing the popular establishment.

There were reports of blood all over the floor.

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ANTI-POLICE PROTESTERS PLAN TO DISRUPT NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS

Anti-police protesters are planning to disrupt New Year’s Eve celebrations at major metropolitan sites. The website Stop Mass Incarceration calls upon activists to not allow New Years Eve 2015 “to go down because business as usual in Amerikkka includes wanton police murder of Black people.”

The announcement says that as Americans around the country ringing in the New Year must be disrupted:

“The refusal of grand juries in Ferguson and Staten Island to indict the cops who murdered Michael Brown and Eric Garner made this clear. So the powerful, beautiful and necessary outpourings that have disrupted this society’s normal routine must continue and escalate on New Years Eve and into the New Year.

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SPD PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT –UNATTENDED VALUABLES

SPD Press Release 12-29-14 (Shoplifting)

WCSO: Can you help ID the perpetrators??

Wicomico County Sheriff's Office

Can you help ID the perpetrators??

Incident: Vandalism, 26 December 2014

Location: 25000 block of Collins Wharf Road, Allen, MD

On 26 December 2014 at 8:11 AM a deputy began an investigation into a reported act of vandalism on the property of a sod farm in the 25000 block of Collins Wharf Road in Allen. Sometime during the overnight hours, an unknown subject drove a vehicle across the sod farm causing substantial damage to the product.

Anyone with any information about the identity of the perpetrators in this crime is asked to contact the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office.

Information may also be relayed anonymously to Crime Solvers of the Lower Eastern Shore at 410-548-1776. Information relayed to Crime Solvers that leads to an arrest will be eligible for a cash reward up to $1,000.00

The Interview was censored for release

Sony cut 10-minute Kim Jong-un gay orgy scene from 'The Interview' before releasing it to theaters

Sony producers censored The Interview when they released the controversial movie last week, editing out at least on racy scene depicting North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un participating in a gay orgy.

The scene was described in a version of the film's script, which was released online in a hack on the Sony production company, but did not appear in the film released online and in a few small movie theaters.

The hack is believed to have been carried out by a group with ties to the North Korean regime, which threatened action against Sony if they released the movie critical of their leader.

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WCSO Press Releases December 29, 2014

THIS IS A LONG PRESS RELEASE. PLEASE CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK BELOW TO SEE THE ENTIRE RELEASE

Cooper, VernonIncident: WCSO Most Wanted Arrest

Date of Incident: 15 December 2014

Location: Baltimore, MD

Suspect: Vernon Alonzo Cooper Jr., 25,Middle River, MD

            

Narrative:    On 15 December 2014 authorities located and arrested one of Wicomico County’s “Most Wanted” fugitives, Vernon Alonzo Cooper in Baltimore. Cooper was being sought on a Circuit Court Bench Warrant that had been issued after Cooper violated the terms of his probation following a conviction on charges stemming from a high speed pursuit that traversed Wicomico County.

Cooper was transported back to Wicomico County where he was detained without bond pending an appearance in front of a Circuit Court Judge.

Charges: Violation of Probation

Walker, DavidIncident: Fugitive Arrest

Date of Incident: 19 December 2014

Location: Delaware

Suspect: David Clyde Walker Jr., 43, Delmar, MD

            

Narrative:    On 19 December 2014 a deputy extradited David Walker back to Wicomico County from Delaware where he was being detained as a fugitive from Wicomico County. Walker was being sought on five Circuit Court Bench Warrants and one District Court Bench Warrant, all issued after he failed to appear for cases where he had been charged with Burglary, Theft and traffic related charges.

Walker was detained in the Detention Center without bond.

Charges: Failure to Appear

Parks, NicholasIncident: Habitual Beggar

Date of Incident: 19 December 2014

Location: U.S. Rt. 13 at Northpointe Dr., Salisbury, MD

Suspect: Nicholas W. Parks, 28, Delmar,MD

            

Narrative:    On 19 December 2014 at 2:30 PM a deputy observed a subject identified as Nicholas Parks standing in the median strip of U.S. 13 in the area of Northpointe Drive and observed that Parks was holding a sign that stated “Homeless Need Help.” The deputy also observed that Parks walked into the roadway to collect money from passing motorists. The deputy had warned Parks the day before to stay away from this location and to stop walking into the roadway to collect money. The deputy was also familiar with multiple encounters where law enforcement had warned Parks about soliciting in the roadway.

The deputy placed Park sunder arrest for Failing to Obey the previous warnings and violation of the County Ordinance that prohibits vagrants soliciting for money.

Parks was processed at the Central Booking Unit and taken in front of the District Court Commissioner.Following an initial appearance, the Commissioner released Parks on Personal Recognizance.

  

Charges: Failure to Obey a Lawful Order and Habitual Beggar 

Worcester County Sheriff's Office Press Release 12-29-14

On December 29, 2014 at approximately 0009 hours, a Deputy was on patrol on Ocean Hwy. in the area of Tulls Corner Rd. Pocomoke City, Worcester County, Md. When he observed a black 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer operating with an equipment violation. The Deputy identified the driver as Jacob Martin Chandler (DOB: 6/8/1992). While speaking with Chandler the deputy detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicles interior. A probable cause search was conducted and located on Chandlers person was a white powdery substance which Chandler stated was Molly, street name for MDMA.

Chandler was placed under arrest for possession of a controlled dangerous substance – not marijuana. Chandler was taken before a Maryland District Court Commissioner and released pending a court date March 30, 2015.

Retailers Brace For Holiday Return Fraud

A survey of loss prevention executives at 60 retail companies representing grocery, department, discount, specialty and small retailers says stores expect to lose an estimated $10.9 billion to return fraud this year. Of that amount, an estimated $3.8 billion will be lost to return fraud this holiday season.

The amount retailers expect to lose during the holidays is up slightly from last year's $3.4 billion, according to the National Retail Federation's 2014 Return Fraud Survey.

Overall, retailers polled estimate 5.5 percent of holiday returns are fraudulent, similar to last year's 5.8 percent. Many return fraud instances are a direct result of larger, more experienced crime rings, the NRF says.

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Bill Cosby 'hires private investigators to dig up dirt on accusers'

Bill Cosby has refused to address the scores of rape allegations that have been hurled at him in recent months, but that doesn't mean he isn't working to clear his name.

The comedian is allegedly paying private investigators six-figure fees to dig up dirt on the more than two dozen women who have come forward to accuse him of rape, according to a report in the New York Post.

A source told the paper that Cosby has hired a Glendale, California, firm to discredit his many alleged victims' stories.

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CareFirst is getting more than 80 percent of Maryland's health exchange business

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield may have higher prices this year, but that's not stopping 83 percent of Maryland Health Connection enrollees from choosing the Baltimore insurer's health plans.

A total of 66,541 of the nearly 80,000 people who have bought private health plans through the state's online insurance marketplace through Dec. 18 chose CareFirst plans, according to a Dec. 19 enrollment report by the exchange. It was not clear how many of those enrollees were newcomers versus people renewing plans they bought last year.

CareFirst brought home about 94 percent of the exchange's private health plan business last year. But after the insurer saw more older enrollees than expected, CareFirst raised prices for 2015 plans. CareFirst's individual premium prices are up an average of between 9.8 percent and 16.2 percent.

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WTC7: NIST Finally Admits Freefall

MSP DUI Press Release 12/22/2014 thru 12/28/2014‏ (Berlin Barrack)

SFD Calls For Service 12-28-14

• Sunday December, 28 2014 @ 19:30Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
• Sunday December, 28 2014 @ 17:00 Nature: Vehicle Accident w/InjuriesAddress: 913 Booth St Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday December, 28 2014 @ 17:00 Nature: Vehicle Accident w/InjuriesAddress: 913 Booth St Salisbury, MD 21801
• Sunday December, 28 2014 @ 16:57Nature: Medical EmergencyCity:Salisbury
• Sunday December, 28 2014 @ 16:31 Nature: Odor InvestigationAddress: 2300 N Salisbury Blvd Salisbury, MD 21801

Saratoga Deputy Arrested for Slapping Citizen on Video

This is how Policing should work, a police officer steps to far over the line and they end up in Jail and fired. 

Not like in NYC with a corrupt Union to keep the bottom of the barrel gang on the force to do more damage, pillaging and destruction ruining the image and name of good Police.

http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2014/11/saratoga-deputy-arrested-slapping-citizen-video/

The news was just announced on the department’s Facebook page with the following press release:

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How to Refuse a Checkpoint! Detained "BECAUSE" of the Constitution?

False Flagging the World towards War. The CIA Weaponizes Hollywood

Almost all wars begin with false flag operations.

The coming conflicts in North Korea and Russia are no exception.

Mass public hysteria is being manufactured to justify aggression against Moscow and Pyongyang, in retaliation for acts attributed to the North Korean and Russian governments, but orchestrated and carried out by the CIA and the Pentagon.

The false flagging of North Korea: CIA weaponizes Hollywood

The campaign of aggression against North Korea, from the hacking of Sony and the crescendo of noise over the film, The Interview, bears all the markings of a CIA false flag operation.

The hacking and alleged threats to moviegoers has been blamed entirely on North Korea, without a shred of credible evidence beyond unsubstantiated accusations by the FBI. Pyongyang’s responsibility has not been proven. But it has already been officially endorsed, and publicly embraced as fact.

The idea of “America under attack by North Korea” is a lie.

The actual individuals of the mysterious group responsible for the hacking remain conveniently unidentified. A multitude of possibilities—Sony insiders, hackers-for-hire, generic Internet vandalism—have not been explored in earnest. The more plausible involvement of US spying agencies—the CIA, the NSA, etc. , their overwhelming technological capability and their peerless hacking and surveillance powers—remains studiously ignored.

Who benefits? It is illogical for Pyongyang to have done it. Isolated, impoverished North Korea, which has wanted improved relations with the United States for years (to no avail), gains nothing by cyberattacking the United States with its relatively weak capabilities, and face the certainty of overwhelming cyber and military response. On the other hand, Washington benefits greatly from any action that leads to regime change in North Korea.

But discussion about Pyongyang’s involvement—or lack of—risks missing the larger point.

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How to deal with a sobriety checkpoint

Nervous guy stands his ground agaisnt cops

WCSO Press Release 12-29-14

INCIDENT: "Update" Attempted Murder/Assault 1st Degree
DATE: 12/26/2014, approx 4pm

NARRATIVE: On 12/26/2014 The Wicomico County Bureau of Investigations was notified by PRMC staff that the female victim from yesterday's shooting has succumb to her injuries and passed away this afternoon. Additional charges will be filed on the suspect, Jack Braboy.

For any additional questions, please contact the Wicomico County Bureau of Investigations at 410-548-4898.

Texas State Bill Will Nullify All Federal Unconstitutional Acts

Texas lawmaker Dan Flynn has introduced legislation that would invalidate within the sovereign borders of his state every act of the federal government that exceeds its constitutionally derived authority.

State Representative Dan Flynn’s bill — House Bill 98 — denies to the federal government:

the power to take any legislative, executive, or judicial action that violates the constitution, specifically including those actions that unconstitutionally undermine, diminish, or disregard the balance of powers between the states and the federal government established by the constitution.

Flynn goes on to cite chapter and verse of the Constitution and the principles of federalism in defense of his position that the state of Texas retains the power to refuse to carry out federal mandates that are not specifically authorized in the Constitution’s enumeration of federal powers.

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Police Checkpoint Refuse Questions. Their Words. Skip first 5 minutes

Cities challenge St. Charles County’s red light camera ban

St. Peters, O’Fallon, Lake St. Louis, and a councilman from O’Fallon are filing a lawsuit in attempt to block a ban on red light cameras in St. Charles County.

Voters approved the ban November 4, with 73 percent of those who went to polls supporting the measure. However, those suing maintain the county has overstepped its legal bounds.

“Seventy-three percent of the voters pass a ban on red light cameras so what these cities are doing are suing 73 percent of the voters in St. Charles County, within their own cities. They’re suing their own residents,” said St. Charles County Councilman Joe Brazil.

Supporters of red light cameras say the cameras are for safety, while critics say they are just a money grab. Who can regulate and restrict red light cameras is open to debate. St. Peters issued a statement saying:

No authority exists for St. Charles County to lay claim to the regulation of traffic on city streets.

“I believe what’s the point of having a municipality if you’re not going to organize and establish your own right and regulations,” said Elizabeth LaFlamme.

“The federal government has jurisdictions over the states, states have jurisdictions over the counties, the counties have jurisdictions over their municipalities, so it’s fairly clear that they have the right to impose laws on those municipalities, especially if those laws are voted into law by the voters,” said Roger Dalsky.

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Daily Times Will Have More Layoffs In Early 2015

Today I sat in the Dentist Office where today's paper sat in a bin. I thought, I wonder why no one has read it yet, then I opened it and completely understood. 

Gone is the local news, investigative reporting and quite frankly if it wasn't for Letters to the Editor or local elected officials feeding them with information, that paper would be nothing but ads and associated press, (copy and paste) articles.

Its no wonder they will be having more layoffs. Sunday advertising inserts and Obituaries are about all that is keeping them afloat. 

So if you are one of the sales people being laid off, call me and we'll hopefully work something out. 

U.S., NATO officially end 13-year war in Afghanistan as Taliban violence spikes

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The United States and NATO formally ended their war in Afghanistan on Sunday with a ceremony at their military headquarters in Kabul as the insurgency they fought for 13 years remains as ferocious and deadly as at any time since the 2001 invasion that unseated the Taliban regime following the Sept. 11 attacks.

The symbolic ceremony marked the end of the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force, which will transition to a supporting role with 13,500 soldiers, most of them American, starting Jan. 1.

Gen. John Campbell, commander of ISAF, rolled up and sheathed the green and white ISAF flag and unfurled the flag of the new international mission, called Resolute Support.

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Ferguson protester charged with arson

A protester who advocated for peaceful demonstrations in Ferguson was charged Saturday with setting fire to a convenience store in a neighboring suburb.

A St. Louis County jail official said Joshua Williams, 19, of St. Louis, was being held on $30,000 bond. He is charged with arson, second-degree burglary and stealing less than $500.

Williams, who was frequently quoted and photographed protesting Michael Brown's death, is accused of using lighter fluid to set multiple fires inside and outside a QuikTrip in Berkeley.

Court records said Williams confessed in a videotaped interview, and that his actions were captured by surveillance video and by news media.

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BREAKING: LAPD on Tactical Alert After Two Men Attempt Assassination of Police Officers

The Los Angeles Police Department is under a city-wide tactical alert after at least one gunman opened fire on two officers driving in their patrol car. This tactical alert sent every officer available to the area. The officers reportedly returned fire and were, thankfully, uninjured.

The shooting happened at 9:20 pm Sunday night at 62nd Street and Hoover. While one suspect is in custody and one weapon, a rifle, recovered, there is still another suspect at-large. Police consider him to be armed and dangerous.

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Florida deputies shot at three times

Authorities have asked the public for help after two deputies in Dade City, Florida, were reportedly shot at three times on Sunday.

The shooting took place at approximately 3:30am in the Northside Baptist Church parking lot, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office said in a release.

The news comes one week after NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were shot and killed in broad daylight. Police officer Charlie Kondek was also shot and killed in Tarpon Springs, Florida, last Sunday.

The Dade City shooting also comes after the Pasco County Sheriff's Office asked for help from the public on Friday in connection with a graffiti message that spelled 'Shoot MP Cop.'

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Scientists Have Debunked These 5 Myths About Sugar

Civil Asset Forfeiture: The Final Stage Of Collapse Of Empire

Only the Rich Can Afford to Keep Their Homes

Philadelphia prosecutors agreed last Thursday to halt efforts to seize the homes of two of the lead plaintiffs in a widely publicized federal suit challenging the city’s use of civil forfeiture laws in drug cases.

Philadelphia drops a Civil Asset Forfeiture case to prevent any court from ruling just seizing people’s property is unconstitutional. Phily.COM [6] has reported the case of Christos Sourovelis and Doila Welch,who were both caught up in having their homes seized to pay police pensions when the police arrested a relative they claimed was dealing drugs on their properties. Today, you basically have to shun relatives and never pick up a hick-hiker in trouble for if they have any drugs, even marijuana, there goes your assets.

The prosecutors, only after these people has money for lawyers and the press got involved, moved for dismissal in Common Pleas Court. The prosecutor agreed to drop the cases against properties as long as both owners took “reasonable measures” to ensure no further drug crimes occurred there.

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Father-of-four, 63, killed delivering pizza during 'set-up robbery'

The grieving family of a pizza delivery man murdered on the job in Alabama at the weekend say he was a hard-working and honorable who came to the US chasing the American Dream.

Father-of-four Najeh Masaeid, 63, a Jordanian immigrant, was delivering a Dominos order to the District at the Summit apartment building in Birmingham on Sunday night, but when he got there the apartment was vacant.

His body was found in a hallway, having died of blunt force trauma to the head, in what police believe was a premeditated robbery.

However the owner of the Domino's shop where Masaeid had worked for over 15 years said Masaeid likely only had about $20 on him.

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Beebe Healthcare Establishes Temporary Visitor Policy

With the number of flu cases climbing in Sussex County, Beebe Healthcare has established a temporary visitor policy in which children under the age of 16 are not allowed to visit patients. The restriction began Dec. 26, the day after Christmas.

Children visitors under the age of 16 cannot go upstairs to the patient areas, nor can they be left alone in the waiting areas downstairs.

The decision was made to protect the health and safety of children and patients. As of mid-December, the state had reported 60 percent of all diagnosed cases in Delaware have occurred in Sussex County.

Children and teens younger than 16 are at a greater risk for flu complications and remain contagious longer than adults. While most people with flu experience a mild illness and don’t need medical care, those with chronic illnesses, such as many of our patients, are at a high risk for developing complications, such as pneumonia. Flu is the most common cause of viral pneumonia in adults.

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Women's rights campaigners who tried to drive into Saudi Arabia are to be sent to special 'terrorism' tribunal

Two women's rights campaigners who tried to drive into Saudi Arabia are set to face a special 'terrorism' court, activists said.

Loujain Hathloul, 25, was arrested after she tried to drive into the country from neighbouring United Arab Emirates, flouting the ban on women motorists.

Maysaa Alamoudi, 33, a UAE-based Saudi journalist, arrived at the border to support Hathloul and was also detained.

Activists claim that it is the first time female motorists have been referred to the criminal court in the capital of Riyadh, which was established to try terrorism cases.

The pair have now been held by the authorities since December 1, and their detention is thought to be the longest yet for any women who defied the driving ban.

Campaigners said investigations surrounding the women appeared to focus on their social media activities rather than their driving.

They now fear the case is being used to send a warning to others pushing for greater rights.

The ruling to send the pair to the special court was made at a hearing in Al-Ahsa, in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, it was claimed.

'They will transfer her case to the terrorism court,' said one activist familiar, who declined to be named, with the Hathloul case, adding that her lawyer plans to appeal.

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North Korea blames the US for shutting down its internet and calls President Obama a MONKEY

The North Korean government called President Obama 'a monkey living in a tropical forest' in a racist tirade against the United States, which the dictatorship blames for knocking out its internet.

Officials on the National Defense Commission, led by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, lashed out at America, calling its leader 'reckless' and saying the U.S. is shameless.

Washington has denied it has anything to do with the disturbance, which has seen the internet repeatedly black out in the country.

It comes after North Korean officials claimed the U.S. government also masterminded the production and release of The Interview - a Sony Pictures comedy which was almost cancelled after a massive cyberattack.

Instead, after encouragement from Obama, the film opened on Christmas day in cinemas and online, making more than $1million in its first day and shooting to the top of online rental charts.

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4 firefighters shot, 2 killed at Webster, N.Y., fire

The gunman, who served prison time for killing his grandmother with a hammer, committed suicide.

WEBSTER, N.Y. — A gunman ambushed firefighters at a house fire in the Rochester suburb of Webster, N.Y., early Monday, killing two firemen and injuring two others before killing himself on a Lake Ontario beach.

Seven homes were destroyed as firefighters waited for police to secure the scene.

The gunman, who shot himself at the scene, was identified as 62-year-old William Spengler. He was charged in 1980 with beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer in her home next door.

Spengler served 17 years in New York State prison on manslaughter charges, police officials said. He was on probation until 2006 and reportedly had lived quietly with his mother, who died in October, and sister at 191 Lake Road, along a sliver of land between Irondequoit Bay and the lake.

Spengler's 67-year-old sister, Cheryl, remains unaccounted for.

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This Major Retailer Just Wrote A Check To Fund A Hamas Mosque, Will You Shop Here Again?

According to a supporter of the Florida Family Association, a Sam’s Club shopper was at his local club in Brandon, Florida when he noticed something posted on the wall behind him. It was a large photograph of a check for $2,500.

Shockingly, at a closer glance, the shopper noticed that the check was written from Sam’s Club to a mosque that was named after the military wing of Hamas. It was made out to the Islamic Community of Tampa. The mosque is known as Al-Qassam, named after the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas.

According to reports, the mosque is currently being directed by the man who pleaded guilty to raising support for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He has also been a member of ISNA, and hosted CAI propaganda events.

The check was the largest being displayed on the wall, exceeding other donation amounts by around $2,000.

What do you think of the donation? Will you boycott Sam’s Club?

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Sun: Hogan Is Marylander Of Year

An honor for Governor-elect Larry Hogan from what some might say is an unlikely source.

The Baltimore Sun did not endorse Larry Hogan in the general election race, but the newspaper did name the Governor-elect its Marylander of the Year.

In an editorial posted online and in Sunday print editions, the paper said Hogan displayed, "independence and integrity," that puts him, " in a solid position to govern."

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How To Survive A Traffic Stop "I Don't Answer Questions"

Ferguson Police Department puts officer on leave after remarks about destroyed memorial

A Ferguson Police Department public relations officer has been put on administrative leave over his response to the destruction of a memorial to Michael Brown, the teenager who was fatally shot by a police officer.

The memorial included signs in the middle of a street near the Canfield Green apartment complex where Brown was shot. Photos on social media showed the mementos scattered, and they appeared to have been run over by a vehicle.

“I don’t know that a crime has occurred,” Officer Timothy Zoll said Friday in an interview with The Washington Post. “But a pile of trash in the middle of the street? The Washington Post is making a call over this?”

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Why I Think This World Should End

State Police Conducting Death Investigation at Cherry Island Landfill

Wilmington - The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is currently conducting a death investigation at the Cherry Island Landfill after a man was struck and killed by a tractor.

Preliminary investigation reveals the incident occurred around 12:37 p.m., Friday December 26, 2014 as Aaron F. Harley, 52, of Wilmington, was operating a Caterpillar D6R LGP Crawler Tractor within the landfill. As Harley was in the process of pushing trash into a large pile and was backing up, he struck a fellow co-worker, Jose Luis Garcia-Hernandez, 42, of Newark, DE, who was standing behind the machinery. Mr. Garcia-Hernandez sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into this incident. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (O.S.H.A.) have been notified and will also be conducting an investigation.

Tech Support

Sony Releasing “The Interview” Online Today For $6

The saga of the The Interview may finally be coming to an end, with Sony deciding to release the film for rental and purchase through multiple online outlets a day earlier than it had originally planned to put it in theaters. 

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NYC May Ban Styrofoam Cups

New York City could soon become the biggest U.S. metropolis to outlaw Styrofoam food and beverage containers.

Currently, most Styrofoam products used in the city end up in landfills.

At issue now is whether polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, can be effectively recycled in a way that doesn't cost too much.

New York passed a law last year restricting the sale and use of cups, food containers and packing materials made out of polystyrene. It will apply to restaurants, coffee shops, food carts and various other establishments.

But the ban was put on hold to first give manufacturers and the city time to see if they can come up with a way to recycle the material.

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